Southern California -- this just in

Electric Daisy Carnival rave moving to Las Vegas after conflict and controversy at the Coliseum

February 24, 2011 | 5:30
pm

A giant rave that has become the subject of a conflict-of-interest scandal and safety concerns will not return to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum this summer.

The producer of the Electric Daisy Carnival, Insomniac Inc., said in a statement that the rave’s return to the Coliseum has been “postponed” and that the event would make its debut in Las Vegas in June, the same month of its scheduled engagement here.

Insomniac has staged raves at the Coliseum and the neighboring Sports Arena for 13 years.

The statement gave no hint at when the postponement might end, but some Coliseum Commission members said that Electric Daisy probably would not be coming back to the stadium.

Insomniac had lost support on the commission after The Times reported earlier this month that a Coliseum administrator doubled as a paid consultant to the producer.

“They probably made a good business decision for them,” Commission President David Israel said of Insomniac. “The writing on the wall was as clear as graffiti.”

Commissioner Rick Caruso said, “My first reaction is good riddance.”

Caruso has been a leading critic of raves, saying they breed drug abuse and unruly behavior. Last year’s Electric Daisy was marred by scores of drug-related arrests and trips to emergency rooms. A 15-year-old girl died from an Ecstasy overdose.

The administrator who worked on the side for Insomniac, Todd DeStefano, was responsible for planning security and medical services for the rave. His dual employment had been approved by then-Commission General Manager Patrick Lynch, who resigned in the wake of the Times disclosures.

DeStefano’s ties to Insomniac are under investigation by the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office and the state Fair Political Practices Commission. He has denied doing anything wrong.